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If the old adage "defense wins championships" is true, then neither of these teams has any chance of winning the MAC. Coming into this week's game, Central Michigan and Toledo rank 10th and 11th in the MAC in scoring defense. The only team ranked lower is Eastern Michigan, and they have a goose egg in their win column to prove it. Neither team has shown they can stop the pass consistently and it's led to points - in bunches. Toledo is coming off of a 45-3 drubbing at the hands of Pittsburgh and QB Tyler Palko and Central Michigan dropped the ball, literally, in a comeback attempt at Kentucky. The Chippewas fumbled eight times, lost three, and left Kentucky with a 45-36 loss to show for it. It's Toledo's homecoming, and the students at the Glass Bowl are some of the most enthusiastic fans in the MAC. Their presence will be felt, but CMU is hoping the presence of DE Dan Bazuin and RB Ontario Sneed will offset any homefield advantage (both players missed the Kentucky game). Chances are this game will hinge on the team who's quarterback makes the fewest mistakes. That being said, the edge has to go to Central Michigan. Dan LeFevour showed last week that he's capable of the big day (360 yards, 4 touchdowns @ Kentucky), while the Toledo passing game has been hindered by injuries and indecisiveness. Sophomore starter Clint Cochran has missed the last two games with an injury and the Rockets have platooned freshmen Aaron Opelt and Brandon Summers in his absence. Fortunately for the Rockets, regarldess of which QB is on the field, they're facing the nation's 106th ranked passing defense, and that will allow them to stay in the game. Sitting at 0-1 in conference play against a 2-0 MAC west opponent, this is a must win for the Rockets. Central Michigan has hung tough against every opponent this season (sans Michigan) and has played in hostile environments to boot. LeFevour's recent chemistry with WR Bryan Anderson and the return of Ontario Sneed to the Chippewas backfield tilts the advantage to Central Michigan. Expect them to establish the run, pass when they have to, pick off a couple of Toledo passes, and leave with the win. Prediction: Central Michigan 37, Toledo 28 Kent State @ Temple The 2005 edition of the Temple Owls was dreadful. Zero wins. Eleven losses. One close game. They looked ahead. A fresh start in 2006, and a schedule with games against perennial MAC cellar dwellars Buffalo and Kent State. Then the 2006 team hit the field and promptly lost one of the worst overtime games ever witnessed 9-3 to Buffalo. Making matters worse for the Owls, something happened in Northeastern Ohio. Kent State found a mobile quarterback, a stingy defense, and victories. The Golden Flashes reeled off MAC East victories against Miami, Bowling Green, and Akron in consecutive weeks. When the dust settled they were perched firmly atop the MAC East with Temple on deck. Temple's last hope for a victory came in week one. Last I checked Kent State is favored by 25 AT TEMPLE! Expect QB Julian Edelman and WR Najeh Pruden to fine tune their chemistry for their week 7 game against Toledo and expect Kent to dominate the game from start to finish. Prediction: Kent State 44, Temple 3. Bowling Green @ Ohio State Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon has finally settled on using Anthony Turner and QB and finding other ways to utilize the sheer athleticism of Freddie Barnes. That might matter next week. There may not be a team in the country capable of stopping the Buckeyes for 4 quarters, and there definitely isn't one in the MAC. Fortunately for Brandon, Turner, and the rest of the Falcons, Ohio State usually shuts it down when leading by three scores in the second half. Bowling Green won't be able to stop Ohio State's offense, and Ohio State's inexperienced defense has some games under its belt now. Blow out, but probably not a ridiculous one. Prediction: Ohio State 41, Bowling Green 10. Akron @ Cincinnati Remember when they Zips went to N.C. State in week 2 and beat them on the last play of the game? It's okay, they might not either. The preseason favorites in many people's for the MAC East have been far from deserving of such a distinction. The most recent disappointment, a 37-15 road loss to Kent State. Luke Getsy has thrown the ball well, but when forced into situations where the defense knows their throwing, he's made mistakes. The Zips have shown no ability to run the football with any consistency (77.2 ypg), and it has cost them dearly. The play of their offensive line has kept Getsy on his back and the only holes in the running game seem to come when the defense lines up in obvious pass coverage. Getsy should be able to pass effectively against a weak Cincy pass defense, but until this offense proves they can put points on the board when it matters, I can't pick them. The Zips team that was able to sneak up on people last week lost that ability with their conference title and 2005 bowl appearance. Prediction: Cincy 24, Akron 13 Buffalo vs. Ball State Ball State QB Joey Lynch will lead the Cardinals offense into Buffalo with the same goal as every week - put up more points than the miserable defense gives up. There are 119 teams in Division I-A college football, and 118 of them have better defenses than Ball State. The Cardinals are dead last in total defense, giving Buffalo some hope. Buffalo's defense has been almost as bad. Ranked 110th overall, the Bulls are allowing a ridiculous 260.3 ypg on the ground. Cardinals RB MiQuale Lewis should have enough success running the ball to allow Lynch time to throw downfield. If Ball State's defense can manage to show up for this game at all, they'll win comfortably. If not, Lynch will win it for them in the second half. This should be the defense's best performance after being humiliated for 353 yards by Garrett Wolfe last week. Prediction: Ball State 34, Buffalo 20 Miami vs. Northern Illinois Miami (0-5) will host Garrett Wolfe and the players that ride the bus with him. No offense to the rest of the Huskies, but Garrett Wolfe has been an absolute animal on the football field this season. Don't expect that to stop. What will stop is Miami WR Ryne Robinson's three game streak of "average" games. Northern Illinois has shown no real ability to the pass this season, and the Redhawks should be able to continue that trend and keep this game close. Then the fourth quarter will hit, and the Huskies will turn the game over to Wolfe. No one, not even the #1 ranked Buckeyes have been able to stop Wolfe this season, and the Miami defense is allowing 182.2 rushing yards per game. Wolfe should eclipse that on his own. Prediction: Northern Illinois 28, Miami 17 Ohio vs. Western Michigan This year's MAC championship game, Kent State vs. Western Michigan! That statement that would've gotten me laughed off of this site in August is starting to look like a real possibility. The Broncos have rattled off three straight wins with a balanced offense and an opportunisitc defense. Ohio, on the other hand, has moved in the wrong direction since their upset victory over Northern Illinois in week 2, and will hope to right the ship this week. It won't happen. Western Michigan has shown they're one of the best teams in the MAC this season and their run defense should be able to extend Ohio RB Kalvin McRae's miserable junior swoon. The Broncos should keep rolling, with their stout defense to keep the Cats scratching their heads, and another lunch pail toting day from RB Mark Bonds. Prediction: Western Michigan 24, Ohio 6
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